Vehicle air-spring.



R. LIEBAU.

VEHICLE AIR SPRING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 13,1913.

1,128,014. Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

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M me BY T 111 H/S TTORNEY IN FACT n STATES PATENT OFFICE.

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To all whom-it ma concern:

Be it known tliat I, 'RICHARD Lumen, a citizen of the United States, and a resldent of SWissvale, in the count of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, ave made a' new and useful'lnvention in Vehicle Air-Spr ngs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to elastic fluid cushion devices and more particularly to such 19 devices for use in connection with the s ring suspension of vehicles such as automo les, delivery wagons, trucks, etc.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a relatively cheap and simple cushion device (hereinafter referred to as an air sprin for use where the initial cost 1 s of consi eration.

In a number of applications filed b George Westinghouse and in a number file 29 by .me which embodied relatively movable members forming a closed chamber having a sliding joint and employing a sealing liquid, a pump is utilized for returnin the sealing li uid which leaks past'the sl ding joint to t e interior of the device. While these devices are self-n aintainin the initial cost is relatively high and or certain classes of work so high as to be prohibitive. The present invention has foran obJect 0 the production of it spring which" will be self-maintaining to a certain extent, but in which the sealing liquid must ffromitim'e to time be replenished; that is, theY'se aling' liquid which leaks past the sliding joint must be replenished manually from, to

' time.

I In the single sheet of drawing acgolnpanyr ing this application and forming a part of,

the same, have illustrated in is eetioiial. elevation an air spring embodying this ingen;

tion and the s rin consists of an outer cylinder 2. within .e "ch. a cylinder 3 is arranged to telescope. Cylinder 3 prgyided with an end member 11, the bottom '5 of 5 which is provided with openings 6 extending laterally therethrough so as to placethe low r i ne cha b r 7 9 sglia 3 in communication with a space formed be tween the outside'of cylinder 3 and an outer guard cylinder 9 which is provided with a bottom member 10 externally threaded theretoand in contact with which bottom 5 rests. Threaded to the bottom end of outer cylinder 2 is a retainer ring 11 which when the air spring is fully extended will Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

abut against a flange 12 of a retainer member 13 threaded to the upper outer end of guard cylinder 9. A felt wiper ring 14 re; ta ned in place by means of the flange 12 acts as a wiper along the exterior of cylinder 2. Retainer member 13 is provided with trnnnions 15 which are adapted to be connected to the running gear or spring suspension upon which the air spring is to be used. Cylinder 2 is provided with a head member 16 which forms an air chamber 17 which is adapted to be pivotally or otherwise connected to the chassis or frame of the vehicle by means of a connecting member 13. A filling opening 19 in the head member will be provided with a valve, not shown, whereby suitable sealing liquid may be fed into the interior of the device and through which also the air for proper inflation may be introduced. An oil reservoir 20 formed by means of a member 21 which is threaded into the upper end of cylinder 3, is adapted to contain sealing liqu1d such as oil for supplying the cup leather pack ing with the necessary oil to keep the same under a substantially constant head. Member 21 is slightly constricted by means of a flange 23 which is externally threaded to receive a retaining member 24.

Resting on the seat 25 formed on member 21 is the cup leather packing 22 which is held in place on the seat by means of the retainermember 24. The outer or free edge 26 of the cup leather packing is held in yielding contact with the inner surface of cylinder 2 by means of cone expander ring sprin pressed toward the cup leather acking ymeans of a spring 28,which lies between the P 9f the cone expander and the bottom of a" flange 29 formed on the retainer 24. Retainer 2 l-is provided with a conlcal shaped flange 30 which forms a reservoir space 31 above the cup leather packing and which feeds oil to the cup leather packing through the channels 32. A cap leather packing. Any oil which leaks past the cup leather packing will flow downbetween the inner surface of cylinder 2 and the outer surface of cylinder 3 and will lubricate said surfaces in its passages to the oil collectin space 8 from whence it will flow into col ectmg chamber 7 through channels 6 in the bottom member. A drain cock 37 is provided for chamber 7 and at convenient intervals the oil collected in chamber 7 may be drained and an equivalent amount added through opening 19 to the interior of the device. When the air spring is placed in commission, suitable oil will be introduced into the device in suflicient quantity to cover the top of conical deflector 30.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of operation of my invention together with the device which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the device shown is only illustrative and that the device can be carried out in other ways.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. An air spring comprising telescopically arranged members having a sliding joint therebetween and forming a closed chamber, a packing for the sliding joint, a reservoir for supplying said packing with sealing liquid, sealing liquid within said device, and

a deflector for directing sealing liquid into said reservoir.

2. An air spring comprising movable members forming a closed chamber having a sliding joint, a packing forsaid joint, a reservoir for sealing liquid above said packing and in communication with said packing, a reservoir for sealing liquid below said packing, and means for deflecting sealing liquid from said lower reservoir to said upper reservoir upon movement of the air spring in use.

3. An air spring comprisingtelescopically arranged movable members having a sliding joint therebetween and forming a closed chamber, a packing for said joint, a reservoir above said packing and in communication therewith for delivering sealing liquid thereto, and a reservoir for sealing liquid below said first mentioned reservoir and in overflowing communication therewith from which fluid is adapted to be slopped into said first mentioned reservoir. I

4. An air spring comprising telescopically arranged movable members having a sliding joint therebetween, a packing for said joint,

able with one of said members and in overflowing communication with said first reser- Wu.

5. An air spring comprising movable members forming a closed chamber and having a sliding joint, a packm for said joint, a reservoir for sealing liqui located above said packing, and communicating therewith by means of restricted assages, a second reservoir located in ove owing or slopping communication therewith and a deflector for deflecting liquid slopped from said second reservoir to said first reservoir.

6. An air spring comprising telescopically arranged members having a sliding joint therebetween and forming an inclosed chamber, a packing for said joint, a reservoir for sealing liquid in restricted communication with said packing, a second reservoir for sealing liquid, movable with the running gear of the vehicle and in slopping communication with said first mentioned reservoir.

7. An air spring comprising movable members, located in telescopic relation, forming a closed chamber, and having a sliding joint therebetween, one of said members being adapted to be secured to the running gear and the other to the body of a vehicle,

a packing for said sliding joint located within the chamber formed by said members, and a reservoir located within the chamber, movable with the running gear of the vehicle, and located in slopping communication with the packing.

8. An air spring for vehicles, comprising telescoping members having a sliding joint therebetween, and forming an inclosed chamber of variable volumetric capacity, a

packing for said sliding joint, a reservoir for sealing liquid located in overflowing or slopping communication with said packing and within said chamber, and a leakage chamber below said reservoir for receiving the liquid leaking past said packing.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 8th day of May, 1913.

RICHARD LIEBAU.

Witnesses:

C. W. MCGHEE, ANNA CLOHERTY. 

